Sponge with nestable handle



Dec. 17, 1957 E. WEIL 2,816,315

SPONGE WITH NESTA'BLE HANDLE Filed Feb. 15, 195 6 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent SPONGE WITH NESTABLE HANDLE Edward Wei], Leonia, N. J.

Application February 13, 1956, Serial No. 565,104

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-444) This invention relates to an improved brushing sponge, and one of its objects is to provide a sponge with a flexible handle which can be extended from either side of the sponge, so that brushing of clothes or scrubbing of the body in bathing operation may be carried out, without danger of the sponge being forcibly detached from the holding hand.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a sponge with side compression plates secured to each other by eyelets, so that the central area of the sponge is provided with a pocket on each side thereof, due to the compression of the sponge material, and to provide a flexible handle of cord by extending a cord through the eyelets and securing the cord ends from separation, so that the flexible cord handle will nest in the pockets when not in use, permitting the sponge to be used for brushing or bathing, or other purposes without use of the cord handle, or permitting the cord handle to be extended from either side of the sponge, so that one or more fingers may be extended through the looped end of the cord and the sponge retained on the hand against accidental displacement, no matter how vigorously it may be used.

With the above and other objects in view the invention comprises certain new and useful combinations and constructions, described in the following specification and shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, showing one looped side of the cord handle folded in one side pocket.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view, showing the handle cord fully extended from one side of the sponge, and the other side of the flexible cord handle nested in its side pocket.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary logitudinal sectional view of a modified form.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the sponge with a modified form of the handle, shown to be in the form of a wire loop having its ends pivotally connected to side compression plates.

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectional view thereof.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a plastic cord handle, showing the terminals thereof heat sealed or fused to each other.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the practical embodiment of my invention, 10 designates a sponge brush, having an approximate rectangular form. In the central area of this brush a compression plate 11 is disposed on one side and another compression plate 12 is disposed on the opposite side, and the material of the sponge between the two compression plates is subjected to a compressive action under suitable pressure, and a retaining eyelet 13 is extended through one end portion of each compression plate, and clinched against the other, and a second eyelet 14 is extended through the two compression plates at the opposite ends thereof, and clinched in place. In this way the compressed sponge material is held under permanent compression and the two compression plates are positively connected to each other. I

As a result of the compression of the central mass of the material of the sponge 10 a pocket 15 is formed on one side of the sponge and a pocket 16 is formed on the other side of the sponge. The form of the pockets corresponds to the rectangular shape of the sponge itself, but, of course may assume any other desirable shape, and the shape of the side pockets is determined by the shape of the compression plates. The pockets 15 and 16 extend longitudinally and are large enough to receive the fingers and the thumb of the hand holding the sponge, and the user is thus able to' get a firm grip on the sponge through these handle pockets.

By the'mounting of the two eyelets in place, spaced apart from each other, passages are formed by the hollow centers of the eyelets to receive the flexible cord 17, which is extended through the two eyelets and knotted at 18 to permanently secure the ends of the cord to each other. Sufficient stock or length of cord is used to allow the cord to be extended from either side of the sponge, and thus form on either side a flexible handle loop.

The side handle loop 19 can be made large enough to receive the whole hand, or one or more fingers of the holding hand, and should extend a suflicient distance from the sponge to allow the fingers or hand to pass easily between the loop and the side of the sponge. Due to the fact that the cord itself is not connected directly to the metal eyelets, there is no wearing action on the flexible cord which may render the handle useless in a short period of use, and with a cord of good quality the unit may last indefinitely.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the use of oblong eyelets 20 and 21, for retaining the side compression plates 22 and 23 to each other, and the use of an elastic tape 24, which is extended through the bores of the eyelets and stitched at 25 to secure the terminal portions of the flexible tape to each other, and thus form a closed loop. in this construction the handle loop 26 formed on either side of the sponge 27, is extensible, and when the hand or one or more fingers are placed between the tape and the sponge, the handle effectively clutches the holding hand, and prevents accidental displacement of the brush from the holding hand. The flexible handle 17 or the flexible handle 24 provide means for preventing slipping of the sponge, when held by a person, with his or her fingers inserted in the opposite and relatively deep handle pockets, and the flexible handle looped over the holding fingers.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I show another modified form of the invention, wherein a C-shaped metal or wire handle 30 is secured to the compression plate 31, by the U-shaped staples 32 and 33, driven through the side compression plates 31 and 35, and clinched against the plate 35. In this construction the handle 30 may fold entirely in one side pocket 36, which may be made somewhat shallower than the other side pocket 37.

In Fig. 7 I show a plastic braided or other cord 40, having its ends heat sealed or fused electronically or otherwise to each other, to provide a continuous loop.

In all constructions the handles fold or nest in the side pocket or pockets of the sponge, when not in use, and the sponge may then be used as if the handle did not exist.

By constructing the sponge with a pocket in each side thereof, a small cake of soap may be disposed in one pocket to assist in lathering the body during bathing.

The sponge may be made of any type of compressible sponge material, either natural or manufactured. All of these materials have such flexibility that they are diflicuit ash-3,315

to grip and hold when used for vigorous brushing or rubbing. By my method of provisioning a handle for the sponge, a secure hold may be obtained on the sponge, without subjecting the marginal edge portions of the sponge to hand pressure, which would distort these edge portions and reduce their usefulness by such hand compression.

On the other hand, the handle construction adds little to the total cost of the sponge, and permits the manufacture of the finished unit at low cost to be sold in the most popular field.

It is understood that various changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of the parts, disclosed, may be made over the invention as defined by the claims, without departing from the scope of the invention so defined.

Having described my invention I claim as new:

1. A sponge made of compressible absorbent material having a plate disposed against each side thereof and tubular fasteners extending through the plates and the sponge material between the plates and having flanged ends engaged with the plates and holding them against the sponge material to compress said sponge material between the plates and thereby establish handle pockets on the opposite sides of the sponge deep enough to receive the tips of the fingers of the user, and a handle of fiexible material looped through the tubular fasteners 4 with its ends bonded to each other to provide flexible handle loops on each side of the sponge through which the fingers of a holding hand may be extended with the tips of the fingers inserted in the handle pockets.

2. A sponge having a plate disposed in a central area on each side thereof, tubular fasteners extending through the plates and having their outer ends extended outwardly and engaged with the plates and holding the sponge material located between the plates under compression and permanently coupling said plates to said sponge and thereby providing a pocket on each side of the sponge, each of said tubular fasteners having a normally open bore, and a flexible handle extended through the bores of the tubular fasteners and formed into a closed loop extendable on either side of the sponge to provide a handheld on each side of the sponge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,129,689 Kidney Feb. 23, 1915 2,156,940 Graham May 2, 1939 2,196,935 Muller et al. Apr. 9, 1940 2,544,216 Brackmann Mar. 6, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 143,680 Great Britain Mar. 31, 1,919

672,951 France Sept. 24, 1929 

